Inflatable kite



R. A. POHL INFLATABLE KITE Oct. 10, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 1, 1956 INVENTOR.

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Oct. 10, 1961 AQ'PQHL 3,003,722

INFLATABLE KITE Filed June 1, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

RUSSELL A. PoA A United States Patent ii 3,003,722 INFLATABLE KITE Russell A. Pohl, St. Paul, Minn., assignor to General lVIills, Inc., a corporation of Delaware Filed June 1, 1956, Ser. No. 588,704 3 Claims. (Cl. 244153) This invention relates to kites, and more particularly to inflatable kites of non-rigid construction.

The kite of the present embodiment is constructed of thin plastic material to form a hollow body which is filled with air or lifting gas with the inflation of the body being such as to maintain the shape of the kite without the use of rigid stiffening members or framework. The kite is flown in the ordinary manner when a string or cord bridle is aflixed to the kite and a pull string is aflixed to the bridle.

An object of the invention is to provide a plastic body having seams thereon which allow the kite to be inflated from a single opening.

Another object of the invention is to provide a continuous seam around the outer periphery of the plastic material to form the over-all shape of the kite and additionally to provide a seam joining the two layers of plastic partially along the central axis of the kite, and to provide a cross seam normal to the central axis partially across the width of the kite.

It is another object of the invention to provide a kite of plastic material seamed at its outer periphery to form a hollow body and provided with seams within the main body of the kite to provide an air foil for the kite.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a plastic hollow body for a kite having a plurality of interconnected hollow chambers inflatable from a single opening.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent in the subsequent specification and the drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of the plastic kite having a central seam and a cross seam normal thereto;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the kite of FIG. 1 in an inflated condition and readied for flying;

FIG. 3 is a sectional end view taken at 33 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a modified form of the kite of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a further modification of the kite of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of another variation of the kite of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the inflated kite of FIG. 6 taken at 7-7;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of an inflatable kite of FIG. 8 taken at 8a-8a;

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of another form of circular inflatable kite;

FIG. 10 is an elevational view of another form of circular inflatable kite;

FIG. 10a is a sectional view of an inflated kite of FIG. 10 taken at 10a--10a.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a hollow plastic body 10 is formed from two thin sheets of plastic material which in the present embodiment is a one mil. or two mil. polyethylene. The two sheets of plastic material are joined at the periphery by a continuous seam 11. Such seams are made by heat sealing means which seams by fusing the plastic sheets together. At the lower portion of the kite an inflation tube 12 of the same plastic material is provided to allow for entry of air or lifting gas to the interior of body 10. Additionally, a seam 13 approximately 3 3 inch in width is provided along the central axis of the body 10 to join the two layers of plastic material to divide the kite initially into two main inflatable sections. It is noted that the seam 13 does not extend along the entire length of the central axis but rather is Patented Oct. 10, 1961 terminated at points 14 and 15 to provide communication between the two main sections. If the kite were inflated with only a central seam, it would fly if connected with a bridle and pull string as shown in FIG. 2. However, to improve the flight characteristics, it is desirable to add a cross seam 16 normal to the central seam 13 thereby dividing the body 10 into four sections a, b, c, and d.

With the addition of the cross seam 16 normal to the central seam 13, the top sections a and b may be bent toward the pull string 23 to provide an unsymmetrical airfoil section best shown in FIG. 3, which combined with the angle of attack of the kite provides more lift than would be available if merely a seam along the central axis were used. Also a dihedral for the kite is provided by allowing the kite to bow at the central axis away from the pull string. This increases side stability. It should be noted that seam 16 does not extend across the entire width of the body but rather terminates at points 17 and 18 to allow communication of the gas to sections a, b, c, and d so that the body 10 may be inflated through the single opening provided by inflation tube 12.

To prepare the kite for flying, air or lifting gas is admitted to the body 10 through inflation tube 12 until chambers a, b, c, and d have been filled as shown in FIG. 2. The inflation tube 12, also being made of the same material as the main body of the kite, is extremely flexible and ordinarily long enough so that it may be tied into a knot to prevent the gas from escaping. Also, tabs 18, 19, and 20 are provided on the kite for securement of a bridle. For example, a string 21 is tied at each end to tabs 18 and 20 with enough slack in the string to allow the central portion to be approximately six inches from the intersection of seams 13 and 16 and to allow the formation of a dihedral as described hereinabove. Additionally, a string 22 is secured to tab 19 and inflation tube 12 with enough slack to be positioned six inches from the intersection of seams 13 and 16. A pull string 23 is then secured at the point of intersection of the strings 21 and 22. Ordinarily, a cloth tail 24 of approximately 10 to 12 feet is attached to inflation tube 12 to insure stability of the kite in flight, particularly in strong winds. Further, a dihedral may be produced by securing a string 25 at points 18 and 20 on the reverse side of the kite and of lesser extent than string 21 so that the main body of the kite is bowed away from the bridle.

In FIG. 4 a body 10 is shown of the same configuration as that of the body in FIG. 1. However the seam 26 along the central axis has been shortened and terminates at nodes 27 and 28. These nodes are to provide greater sealing at the ends of the seam to protect the seam against stress failure at the ends thereof. Additionally, an angular seam 29 joins the sheets of plastic on the body with the vertex of scam 29 immediately adjacent node 28 of seam 26. The body'10 is inflated in the same manner as described in conjunction with FIG. 2 with the strings attached in a similar fashion.

FIG. 5 presents a further modification of the body 10 described in FIG. 1 wherein the seams 30 and 32 are located parallel to central seam 31. The body 10 is inflated in the same manner as described in conjunction with the kite of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 discloses a sectional view of the body portions a, b, c, and d as inflated.

In FIG. 7, a body 33 is provided with a semicircular top portion 34 and two semicircular portions 35 and 36 joined to form an inflation tube 37. A seam 38 is provided along the central axis of body 33 and a cross seam 39 normal to seam 38 is provided substantially across the width of body 33. The cross seam 39 allows the upper portion of body 33 to bend forward to form the unsymmetrical airfoil as described in conjunction with FIG. 3.

The body of the kite may take other shapes, particularly as shown by circular kite body 40 of FIG. 8 wherein the two sheets of plastic material are seamed at the outer periphery by seam 41. An inflation tube 42 is provided in the lower portion of the body 49 to admit gas into the body dd for inflation'of the kite. Additionally, seam 43 along the central axis of the body 40 seams the two sheets of plastic material together by fusion over a portion of the entire extent of the central axis. Normal to seam 43 are cross seams 45, 46, and 47 each of lesser extent than the width of said kite body 40, and so arranged that the entire kite body may be inflated through tube 42. it is noted that the spacing e, f, g, h, and i between the cross seams is lessened as viewed downwardly of the kite. Thus the portion e will tend to inflate to a larger section than portion 1, etc., thereby eflectuating an airfoil section as shown in FIG. 8a in which portion e can be considered the leading edge.

The body 4%) is bridled by attaching a string at tabs 48 and 49 and another string at tab 50 and tube 42. A pull string may then be attached to the intersection of the attached strings for flying the kite, and a kite tail may be attached to tube 42.

Referring now to FIG. 9, two sheets of plastic material are formed to make body and they are seamed together at the outer periphery by seam 52. Seam 53 extends along a portion of the central axis of body 51 to join the sheets of plastic material therealong. A seam 54'of lesser extent than the width of body 51 is located normal to seam 53 above the mid-portion thereof. Strings may be attached as described in conjunction with 1 16. 8 at tabs 55, 56, 57, and tube 58. The body 51 is inflated through tube 58 after said inflation tube 58 may be knotted to retain the gas within the body 51. Also a tail (not shown) may be attached to tube 58.

A further configuration or the circular inflatable kite is shown in FIG. wherein a body 59 consisting of two sheets of plastic material is seamed together at the outer periphery by seam 6i Eccentric of circular outer seam 6! is a circular inner seam 61 for fusing the sheets of plastic material together at the seam. Between the end points 62 and 63 of scam 61 is an unsearned portion 64 which allows for the passage of gas from inflation tube 65 to eccentric portion 3. Within eccentric portion I are seams 66, 67, and 68 extending normal to a central axis through body 59 and of lesser extent than the Width of eccentric portion J. Thus eccentric portion J is divided into four sections, k, l, m, n, with section k being larger than section 1 and so forth, thereby providing an airfoil section as shown in FIG. 16a in which section i may be considered the section forming the leading edge. Again strings may be attached at tabs 69, 70, 71, and tube 65 as described in conjunction with FIGS. 8 and 9. After the entire body 59 has been inflated through tube 65, the tube 65 being of plastic material, may be knotted to retain the gas within the body and a kite tail (not shown) may be afiixed.

Thus I have described various inflatable kite structures of non-rigid construction, wherein the kite bodies may be completely inflated from a single inflation tube, with the inflation of the kite body producing an airfoil wln'ch, when acting with the angle of attack of the kite, increases the lift of the kite.

While I have described particular embodiments of my inflatable kite in detail, I intend to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A hollow inflatable kite having both dihedral and camber comprising a pair of similar flexible sheets of plastic material having angularly disposed edges, a gastight seam extending peripherally about the matching edges of said sheets to seal said sheets together, a narrow central seam extending substantially from one end of the kite to the other at an angle with respect to said edges to divide said kite. into inflatable portions on either side thereof, said central seam providing a line about whcih said portions may be bent to form said dihedral and to provide surface engagement of the plastic material adjacent either side of said central seam, a narrow transverse seam extending substantially from one side of the kite to the other and intersecting said central seam at right angles to divide each of said portions into two smaller sections, said transverse seam providing a second line about which the two sections of each of said portions may be bent to form said camber and to provide surface engagement of the plastic material adjacent either side of said transverse seam, and inflation means operatively associated with said kite.

2. A hollow inflatable kite in accordance with claim 1 in which said inflation means is located at one end of the kite and in which the ends of said central and transverse seams are spaced from said peripheral seam so as to provide complete communication through the interior of said kite.

3. A hollow inflatable kite in accordance with claim 1 in which each of said sheets is formed with respective integral tabs where the angularly disposed edges of each sheet meet for attachment of a bridle thereto, said peripheral means extending along each side of two matching tabs but not across the free ends of said last-mentioned tabs so as to constitute said inflation means.

References. Cited in the file of this patent 

